Ordinary citizens will once again be deprived of the long-standing opportunity to collect new banknotes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, although the privilege remains available for central bank officials.
Following the pattern of the previous year, neither Bangladesh Bank nor any commercial bank branches are officially distributing new notes.
Historically, the central bank’s head office offered note exchange facilities for the public before Eid, and specific commercial bank branches were designated for distribution through official circulars.
This practice began to change in 2024 under the tenure of former Governor Abdur Rouf Talukdar, who stopped direct exchanges at the central bank and moved to a limited distribution model through 84 commercial bank branches.
After a change in administration, the current Governor, Ahsan H. Mansur, formally cancelled the entire Eid distribution programme, resulting in no new notes being provided by any bank last year.
Arief Hossain Khan, spokesperson and executive director of Bangladesh Bank, confirmed that the policy remains in effect this year. “Bangladesh Bank has not been releasing new notes into the market for Eid since last year, and the same will happen this time,” he told TIMES.
He clarified that the central bank no longer releases new notes for special occasions as it is now a regular, year-round activity where banks collect both new and old notes daily.
Despite this official halt, public demand remains high, with many customers still visiting banks in search of new currency.
While the general public is excluded, an internal circular has authorised new note exchange facilities for officials and employees of Bangladesh Bank and The Security Printing Corporation (Takashal).
These exchanges, which began last Sunday, are subject to specific limits and also cover daily-wage and outsourced staff.
According to central bank data, an official with the rank of executive director can exchange up to Tk 1,83,000 in new notes. Meanwhile, outsourced employees, including cleaning staff, are eligible for up to Tk 68,000.
For a cleaner whose monthly wage typically caps at Tk20,000, this facility allows them to acquire new notes equivalent to approximately three and a half months’ salary.
In contrast, new notes are virtually unavailable at commercial banks, where bankers say they are mostly reserved for “known customers” or special requests.
